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Council awards $1.35 million bid for Milton Street 12‑inch sewer; single-bid process defended as emergency
Summary
The Josephine City Council voted to award Horton Excavating LLC a $1,349,997.50 contract to build a 12‑inch gravity sewer on Milton Street after staff described a higher-than-expected single responsive bid and argued the project met emergency procurement criteria.
The Josephine City Council voted unanimously July 14 to award a $1,349,997.50 contract to Horton Excavating LLC for construction of a 12‑inch gravity sewer line on Milton Street.
City staff described the project as a value-engineered version of an earlier design and said the recommended contractor already is working for the city on related wastewater work, which staff said would speed mobilization. “We worked with them over the month of May and June to secure their numbers,” the city’s consultant explained during the meeting.
Why it matters: Council members framed the project as a near-term, health-and-safety priority tied to an aging sewer line that has produced infiltration and occasional overflows. The project includes approximately 2,700 feet of new line and street rehabilitation; staff estimated the road repair portion at roughly $340,800.
Bidding and procurement: Council members asked whether the city solicited competitive bids. Staff said they contacted two known, qualified contractors (KCK and Horton); KCK submitted a high bid and Horton provided the lower, recommended price. Staff said they treated the work as an emergency procurement under state procurement provisions after prior rain events produced manhole overflows reported to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and that council previously discussed the approach. The engineer described the recommended scope: Portland‑stabilized base with hot‑mix asphalt surfacing, approximately three inches of asphalt over a stabilized base, and final paving that ties into an existing school-installed line.
Construction oversight and schedule: The construction duration was listed at roughly 120–150 working days (about four months). The city’s engineer said the firm will provide daily onsite inspection. Council members pressed staff on quality assurance after recent warranty problems on other streets; staff said they will make clear to the contractor the expectation for proper base stabilization and will hold contractors to performance standards.
Council action: A motion to award the contract to Horton Excavating LLC for $1,349,997.50 passed 5–0.
What’s next: Staff will finalize contract documents and coordinate construction staging and notifications to nearby property owners. The engineer and public works staff said they will monitor compaction, base stabilization and paving to reduce the risk of early failures.
